KONE, a global pioneer for marine elevators and escalators, has conducted intensive research in partnership with several cruise line companies during the past three years.
The aim has been to enhance the cruise experience by developing new solutions for the people and material flows on the ships while improving health and safety on board and in the terminals. The research has involved collecting data with sensors installed on the ships, timing activities, and interviews with passengers and crew members.
“We have collected a great deal of data that supports the companies’ decision-making. Any changes on cruise ships must be fact-based and commercially viable solutions because the investments required are so large,” says Timo Pakarinen, managing director for KONE’s marine business.
3D simulation modelling
KONE has used 3D simulation modelling of people’s movements on a ship during embarkation/disembarkation and the sea day. This made it possible to run different test scenarios on how elevators and escalators work, depending on the number and types of passengers.
The end solution helps tackle challenges such as crowded elevator lobbies or other passenger flow bottlenecks
Modelling includes different distributions of various walking speed groups, as well as restricted mobility users to match predicted passenger profiles. The end solution will help tackle challenges such as crowded elevator lobbies or other passenger flow bottlenecks.
The COVID pandemic has made KONE’s research even timelier, as passengers have become very aware of the risks of infection in enclosed spaces.
Minimising health risks
“We have also carried out airflow research with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to make the elevator cars safer through cleaner air and better ventilation. The goal is peace of mind for the users by minimising the health risks in our elevators,” Pakarinen explains.
In addition to developing new solutions on existing cruise ships, KONE is also a supplier in several ongoing new build cruise liner projects. The full extent of KONE’s research-based innovations will be revealed when these new ships are launched in the coming years.
Optimising passenger flow
“KONE’s early involvement means that the shipowner gets the full value of our optimisation service because that’s when the big decisions about the ship are made. This ensures that the ship will have exactly the right number of elevators in the right places to ensure optimal passenger flow experiences with investments in elevator equipment,” says Pakarinen.
“We see each strategic partnership as a means to facilitate innovation and identify efficiencies.”